Clasp



July 13, 1937.

CLASP Filed July 6, 1936 H. FRIEDMAN :1- AL 2,087,142-

Patented July 13, 1937 Harold Friedman and Garl Cantelio, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application July 6, 1936, Serial No. 89,179

1 Claim.

This invention relates to a clasp and more particularly but not necessarily to a clasp for use with sheer materials such as hose and other thin delicate wearing apparels.

It is one object of this invention to provide a clasp of improved construction that will be particularly adapted for use with sheer materials.

Another object is to provide a novel clasp that will be so constructed as to eliminate projecting shanks or outwardly protruding parts from the general plane of the clasp.

Another object is to provide a clasp that will operate to readily and easily engage a garment such as hose and in such a manner as to not damage the structure of the fabric and yet grasp it in firm fixed relation.

A further object is to provide a clasp having the above characteristics that will lie close and smooth against the body of the wearer and cooperate with the apparel to which it is attached in the desired manner to cause the apparel to properly fit the body of the wearer.

A still further object is to provide a clasp having the above characteristics that will be simple in structure, light or weight, durable, efficient and easy to operate and comparatively cheap to manufacture.

The above and other objects will be made apparent throughout the further description of the invention when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein like reference characters refer to like parts. It is to be distinctly understood that the drawing is not a definition of the invention, but merely illustrates one form of a structure for carrying out the invention. The scope of the invention will be defined by the appended claim.

In the drawing:-

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a clasp embodying the invention and showing the manner in which it is adapted to engage a garment,

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing the clasp in open position and the initial step in the process of connecting the garment with the clasp,

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3-3, Figure 4,

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 4-5, Figure 3, and 7 Figures 5 and 6 are individual views of two cooperating clasping elements.

Referring to the drawing it indicates a portion of a garment, such as hose, to which the present clasp is adapted to engage and support. ll indicates that part of a garter, suspender or shoulder strap conventionally used for engaging any well-known clasp. The present clasp indicated in its entirety by i2 comprises two independently constructed skeleton rear and front clasping elements l3 and Hi respectively, each of which is of a form for cooperating one with the other for the purpose of engaging and coupling the apparel If) to the clasp. The element l3 consists of a pair of oppositely disposed truncated tapered upper and lower portions merging into each other at their inner ends. The element l3 has the upper end of its upper portion of greater width than the lower end of its lower portion. The element it has its upper portion of slightly less length than its lower portion. The i l consists of an upper and a lower oppositely disposed tapered portion merging into each other at their inner ends, the upper portion being of materially greater length than the lower portion. The element I l has the upper end of its upper portion of slightly less width than that of the lower end of the lower portion.

The upper ends of the elements it and it are termed top members It and iii respectively and are disposed in parallelism. The member 55 is of greater length than the member it. The top members i5, it are split. The latter is adapted to lie below the member 55 and is held in close proximity to the member 55 by a sleeve ll which is common to the said members 55, iii. The sleeve I H is substantially of band like form and of oval contour in vertical section. The sleeve ll is also adapted to receive the bottom leg of a skeleton rectangular link member E8 of suspension. The upper lengthwise leg of the link member l8 slidably receives a loop formed on the strap l l. The sleeve I! may be formed of a strip of any suitable metallic material folded to the form shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3 around the members i5, l6 and the bottom leg of the link !8. The members l5, l6 and the leg of the link I8 are arranged in the sleeve I! in superposed relation in parallelism. This arrangement of the sleeve l'l relative to the members l5, l6 and the bottom leg of the link i8 is an important feature of the invention and is such that it provides a flat structure having a minimum thickness and rendering the clasp invisible when used beneath thin apparels.

The element 13 not only includes the top member IE, but also a pair of oppositely outwardly inclined upper side members l9 and El extending downwardly from the ends of the top member l5 and terminating in oppositely inwardly inclined lower side members 22, 23 which merge at their element lower ends into the ends of a bottom member 24 of materially less length than the top member [5. The latter, in connection with the members l9 and 2|, forms the truncated tapered upper portion of element 13. The bottom member 24, in connection with the members 22, 23, forms the truncated tapered lower portion of the element l3. The bottom member 24 is continuous.

28, 29 form the element I4 with a tapered lower portion of materially less length, than the upper portion of element M and of greater width than the lower portions of elements l3 and M. The member 29 is continuous. The points of mergence of the members 21, 28 with the member 29 are rounded as at 31, 3

' bottom member 29 The members 21, 28, curved portions 3!, 32 and coact to provide a head over which a part of the garment i is folded.

After a portion of the garment has been folded over the head aforesaid, the lower end of the element I4 is moved towards the element 13 carrying the folded portion of the garment. The lateral stress of the garment it) together with the vertical stress of the upward pull of the strap H on the clasp causes the lower portion of the element It to be held firmly against the lower portion of element It! and since cooperating parts of the fabric lie between the cooperative portions of the elements l3 and I4, the fabric is prevented from relative movement with respect to the clasp. The curved portions 3!, .32 of the element l3 operate to prevent anydamage to the fabric. Also the cooperating elements I 3, I4 provide a large area of the contact with the fabric so that the strain on the fabric is distributed to a sufiiciently large area to prevent damage to the fabric.

The link member l8 and clasping elements l3 and It may be constructed from small round metallic wire while the band l'l may be formed from any suitable thin sheet metal. It is to be understood, however, that the cuif member I! may be formed of fabric but is preferably formed of material of suflicient stiffness to maintain the top members I5, l6 and the co-operating leg of the link member I 8 in substantially the same plane.

While the invention has been illustrated in connection with wearing apparels, it is to be understood that the present clasp may be employed wherever this type of a clasp may be required and while merely one form of the invention has been illustrated and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that certain changes, substitutions, modifications, additions and omissions may be made in the single structure described without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claim.

What we claim is:-

In a clasp, a shiftable front and a rear clasping element of skeleton form having straight upper end parts for pivotal suspension, the upper portion of said front element being arranged completely within the upper portion of said rear element, the lower portion of said front element being arranged forwardly of the lower portion of said rear element, each of said elements including straight upper and lower end parts, said rear element having its upper end part of greater length than its lower end part, said front element having its upper end part of less length than its lower end part, the upper end part of the rear element being of greater length than the upper end partof the front element, the lower end part of thefront element being of greater length than the lower end part of the rear element, said rear element being formed of upper and lower oppositely disposed truncated tapered portions merging into each other at their inner ends, said front element being formed of upper and lower oppositely disposed tapered portions merging into each other at their inner ends, the upper portion of the frontelement being of less width than the upper portion of the rear element and of less length than said lower portion of the front element, and said lower portion of the front element being of greater width than said lower portion of the rear element.

HAROLD FRIEDMAN.

CARL CANTELLO. 

